Pu-erh tea storage is not something magical; it is merely a necessity for tea marketing. When discussing storage, what everyone knows is that it relates to aged Pu-erh tea. So, in the transition from new tea to aged tea, is it impossible without so-called storage? Based on my 10 years of experience, I tell you that it is possible. That is to say, even if tea is left casually for 10 years without professional storage, the transformation of the tea continues. During this period, aging phenomena will occur; expressed through tasting, the aroma transforms into two forms: aged flavor and aromatic flavor. The bitterness and astringency undergo a certain degree of degradation, and the sweetness (huigan) changes to varying degrees depending on the specific tea.
Since tea can transform even without storage, can the role of storage make a tea better? This must be viewed from two perspectives.
First is the drinker. If a drinker is accustomed to the flavor of Pu-erh tea stored locally, they may misjudge a well-transformed tea from another region due to their own habits. A practical example is the comparison between Kunming and the Mengla and Menghai regions; you can try to see what the difference is in the same type of tea—not to mention comparing Kunming with places like Beijing, Nanning, or Shenzhen. The “Pu-erh Bar” conducted a comparison in recent years: the same tea was left in different regions for several years, and when finally opened for comparison in Kunming, everyone from each region claimed their own transformation was superior.
Second is the quality of the tea. It is very difficult to judge the future aging effects of a tea from its new state; thus, the question arises: if a “trash” tea is left for 10 years, will it become good tea? The answer is a definitive no; trash tea remains trash, and even after 10 years, it remains trash. It is only that this 10-year aging process might make this trash tea easier to drink, but it does not make it good tea. If the new tea is good, whether it will also be good after aging is uncertain; it can only be determined when tasting.
Tea that has been left for over 10 years will invariably exhibit an “aged flavor.” This flavor merely indicates that the tea has a certain age; it does not represent the quality of the tea. However, the appearance of “storage flavor” indicates that the humidity of the place where the tea was kept was relatively high. Sometimes, it is normal for a tea to exhibit both aged flavor and storage flavor because the tea was stored in multiple locations.
As for why many people now reject heavy wet storage, it is because Pu-erh tea from overly wet storage can develop mold, which affects not only the drinking experience but also the health of the tea drinker. As for whether a certain type of storage is better, or whether tea without storage flavor is superior, you can only reach a conclusion by trying it yourself. After all, personal preferences differ; and although I have always kept my tea in Kunming, I still prefer the tea that has been carefully stored in Shenzhen—it possesses a storage flavor, but the color of the tea soup is good, the sweetness and smoothness are high, the bitterness and astringency are low, and the aroma is moderate.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
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